History:
MARQUISE MARIE AUBRAY DE BRUYILLE
Real Name: Marquise Marie Aubray de Bruyille
Identity/Class: Human (French, 17th
Century)
Occupation: Noblewoman
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Captain Louis Crosse, Henri
Enemies: Jules, the Marquis de Bruyville
Known Relatives: The Marquis de Bruyille (husband), unidentified father (deceased), Jules (nephew)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Paris, France
First Appearance: Crime Cases Comics I#24 (August, 1950)
Powers/Abilities: The Marquise proved adept at fashioning poisons.
Height: Unrevealed
(approximately 5'8")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 120 lbs.)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black
History:
(Crime Cases Comics I#24/3) - In 1651, Marie married the Marquis de Bruyville but she had no affection for him, instead being in love with Captain Louis Crosse. Immediately after the wedding ceremony she met with Captain Crosse in the garden of the Marquis' home. Crosse admitted he'd become jealous by the wedding. Marie told Crosse one day she would be tired of the Marquis and then she would want his help in eliminating her husband. Just then, the Marquis entered the garden and Marie claimed Crosse had been forcing himself upon her. The Marquis had Crosse arrested and taken away.
One day Marie bribed her way into the prison to meet with Captain Crosse. Crosse had been placed in a cell with Exill, a famous poison developer and had memorized Exill's poison. Marie told Crosse that when he was free they would put the poison into effect. Crosse was released in 1653 and was eager to poison the Marquis but Marie observed they weren't absolutely sure the poison would kill quickly. To test the poison, Marie baked up poisoned cakes and served them to the patients of a charity hospital, posing as a benevolent woman. The following day she went by the hospital and saw many patients had died but it was being blamed upon a new disease from Asia.
Marie was left uncertain whether the poison had succeeded or not so she decided to test it again, this time putting it into her own father's medicine. After mere minutes, her father died. Marie went home to prepare more of the poison in her secret laboratory but she was interrupted by her husband's nephew, Jules. Hoping to distract Jules from what she had been doing, Marie suggested to Jules that he was in love with her. Jules admitted he was and she arranged to meet him in the library at 7:00.
Marie quickly told Captain Crosse about Jules. Rather than poison, Crosse resolved to murder him with his dagger. That night at 7:00, Marie met Jules in the library and served him wine. Crosse entered the library behind Jules armed with his dagger, but the light cast his shadow on the wall, alerting Jules in time for him to disarm Crosse.
Crosse fled from Jules into the home's secret laboratory, thinking Jules would be afraid of the dangerous chemicals in the laboratory. However, Jules simply stood at guard outside the laboratory. With no means of escape, Crosse was killed by the poison fumes in the laboratory. Once Crosse was dead, Jules summoned the police to his uncle's home and informed them the Marquise was responsible for the poison.
The Marquise attempted to flee in her coach but was apprehended within hours and arrested for murder. The Marquise was ultimately found guilty of poisoning 16 people. On December 4, 1653 she was executed by the guilotinne. The Marquis de Bruyville ultimately outlived her by many years.
Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Jerry Grandenetti.
This story is probably based on the true-life case of Madame de Brinvilliers, an actual 17th century French noblewoman who conspired with her army captain lover to murder members of her family. I don't know why they changed the name - it's not like she was going to sue Marvel.
This profile was completed on 11/24/2025 but its publication was delayed, as it was intended for the Appendix's 25th anniversary celebratory event.
Profile by Prime Eternal.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Marquise de Bruyille should not be confused with:
Captain Louise Crosse was a French military officer who was in love with Marie and continued an affair with her after she married the Marquis de Bruyville in 1651. When the Marquis found them together Marie claimed Crosse had forced himself on her. Crosse was arrested and went to prison. Sharing a cell with Exill, Crosse memorized the formula for poison that Exill had invented. When Crosse was released from prison in 1653 he and Marie began scheming to use the poison on the Marquis. However, Marie first tested it on the patients of a charity hospital, then on her own father before being certain of its potency. Fearing the Marquis' nephew Jules might suspect something, Marie for Crosse to kill Jules at a meeting she had arranged with him in the library. Entering the library with his knife drawn, Crosse's shadow alerted Jules to his presence and Jules quickly disarmed Crosse. Crosse fled to Marie's secret laboratory, thinking Jules would be afraid to follow him. However, Jules stood guard outside the laboratory as the fumes in the laboratory slowly killed Crosse.
--Crime Cases Comics I#24/3
Exill was Captain Crosse's cellmate in prison. The old man introduced himself as the developer of a famous poison he sold to the Medici family. Exill drew the formula for the poison on the floor of the prison and Crosse memorized it.
--Crime Cases Comics I#24/3
Henri was the baker to the Marquis de Bruyville. He permitted Marie to make use of his kitchen to cook cakes for the poor, unaware those cakes contained deadly poison.
--Crime Cases Comics I#24/3
Jules was nephew to the Marquis de Bruyville. When he happened upon Marie creating poison in her secret laboratory, Marie attempted to distract him by claiming he'd been in love with her. Jules pretended to be in love with Marie and agreed to meet her that night in the library. When the time came, Marie's lover Captain Crosse attempted to assassinate Jules with a dagger but Crosse's shadow alerted Jules to the danger and he disarmed Crosse. Crosse fled Jules into the laboratory thinking he'd be afraid to follow him but Jules stood guard outside the laboratory and let the fumes in the room kill Crosse. Once he was dead, Jules told the police what had happened and identified Marie as a poisoner. The police apprehended her and put her to death. Jules attended her execution.
--Crime Cases Comics I#24/3
The Marquis de Bruyville was a wealthy French nobleman. In 1651 Marie married him because of his wealth and secretly plotted with her lover Captain Crosse to kill the Marquis. When the Marquis found Marie and Crosse together on his wedding day, Marie convinced him Crosse had forced himself upon her. The Marquis had Crosse arrested and sent to prison for 2 years. When Crosse was released he and Marie began scheming to poison the Marquis but the Marquis' nephew Jules exposed Marie as a poisoner and she was sent to her death. The Marquis outlived Marie by many years.
--Crime Cases Comics I#24/3
images: (without ads)
Crime Cases Comics I#24/3, page 1, panel 1 (main)
Crime Cases Comics I#24/3, page 1, panel 2 (face)
Crime Cases Comics I#24/3, page 1, panel 2 (Crosse)
Crime Cases Comics I#24/3, page 2, panel 5 (Exill)
Crime Cases Comics I#24/3, page 3, panel 1 (Henri)
Crime Cases Comics I#24/3, page 4, panel 1 (Jules)
Crime Cases Comics I#24/3, page 2, panel 1 (Marquis)
Appearances:
Crime Cases Comics I#24/3 (August, 1950) - undentified writer, Jerry
Grandenetti (penciler), Stan Lee (editor)
First posted: 09/16/2026
Last updated:
11/24/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
Copyright info
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